Paralysed
by bobthetree123
Summary: Could a car crash change Booth and Brennan's future? One-shot, BB.


Just a one-shot idea that popped into my head. Haven't written Bones in awhile, so I apologise for the quality, and the corny storyline. I also apologise if there are any factual errors, but I just wanted to get the main idea across.

Please read and review! xo

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><p>Booth waited patiently by the glossy black doorway, waiting for his partner to climb inside the SUV, ignoring her requests to drive. His fingerprints tainted the material, and he subconsciously wiped them off before closing the door, and walking to his own side. He slid inside, subtly making sure she was comfortable before pulling out of the Jeffersonian parking lot.<p>

"You know what I think?" Brennan's tinkling voice broke the crystal silence between them.

"Hmm?" Booth grunted, turning his head slightly.

Brennan shook her head, changing her mind. "You know what? Don't worry."

Booth turned fully now, intrigued. "Come on, Bones, you can tell me anything," he urged, trying to squeeze the information out of her.

"I think...well, I think you need a haircut."

Booth self-consciously flattened his tower of hair, glancing in the mirror while trying to smack down the arguing strands. "That's what you were worried about? My hair?"

"Well, I'm sorry, but it's been bothering me all day. It's not practical for working. You need to look sophisticated, like me."

"Well, then, I should say that _you_ need a haircut."

He turned to look at her, and his voice faltered. Of course she didn't need one. Her hair was gorgeous. It sat perfectly on her shoulders, flowing down like a soft waterfall. She had a small flower pinning up the side of it, highlighting her porcelain face.

She laughed nervously, and Booth realised he had been watching her for a bit too long.

"What?" She asked nervously.

"Um, nothing," he said hurriedly, occupying himself with the road once more.

"Come on, you can tell me anything," she mocked, repeating his earlier statement.

As he turned to reply with some snide remark, he stopped, retreating back into his shell. He had a feeling this conversation had excelled past comments about hair.

He watched as her face changed, twisting in horror as she watched the road instead of he. He saw her arms fling out across to him, grabbing the steering wheel beneath his hands and jolting it to the right. He felt the car shudder beneath him as it left the road before he felt the density of the impact. The Holden crashed into the side of his SUV, reducing it to no more than a tin can. His head rocked forward on impact, and smashed into the dash in front of him. His last thought before the darkness took him away was whether his partner was safe, or if she, like him, was in the beckoning arms of death.

-Bones-

Brennan shivered; her body feeling suddenly as though it were enclosed in ice. She started to shake violently, and vaguely wondered if she was having a seizure. She blinked open her eyes, hoping it was just a dream that she could shake off, and begin a new day.

But it wasn't a dream.

She continued to shudder, but the shocks were slowing, and she closed her eyes, willing her body to let them pass. Once they had completely stopped, she opened her eyes again, taking in her surroundings.

She was in a hospital. A drip was sucking on her arm painlessly, and tubes twisted their way around her like constricting vines. She tried to move, but it was too painful. Her arm throbbed, and she felt it wrapped in bandages, their grip tight.

As she closed her sore eyes, she suddenly envisioned the red car, the blank look on Booth's face before he finally registered what was happening. She shook her head, trying to rid her mind of the crunching sound of their car succumbing to the other, the snapping sound as bones were broken, the blaring of the bar's horn...

She sat up quickly, ignoring the pain seizing her blood, and realised she was covered in sweat. She wondered whether to call for a doctor, but it wasn't necessary. Besides, they would fuss over her and waste time.

Time she could be spending finding Booth.

She stepped slowly out of her bed, holding the sheets as pain danced through her brain, spiralling and forcing her to drop back down. She clutched her head, her fingers fumbling across the stitches holding her skin in place. Taking a breath, she tensed as she stood back up, fighting the whirlwind of pain, and made her way across to the doorway.

She stepped slyly out of her room, trying to look inconspicuous as she hurried past nurses and doctors. She headed for ICU, hoping above all hopes that his injuries weren't as bad as she was imagining.

She heard nurses questioning receptionists as they watched her hurry past. A few "Miss"'s were called out, but they were left behind in her slipstream. Her legs automatically moved faster as she read the signs leading to the unit, a searing pain twisting up her right leg. She stopped for a moment, reaching down to find the source. A think scar like lightning spun its way up her leg. Wincing, she swept her fingers over it, feeling the raised skin. She forced herself to keep going, to see Booth, to make sure he was...safe.

As she walked past the reception area, her eye caught on a few familiar faces, and tried to hide herself behind the bustling public, not needing distractions, hugs from Angela or a pep talk from Sweets right now. She felt guilty, but she had to know.

She pushed open the double doors with her right hand, her eyes sweeping the open area. She almost ran up to the receptionist, who's mouth fell open like a fish's as she saw Brennan in her hospital shift.

"I'm looking for Special Agent Seeley Booth" she spoke hurriedly, ignoring the daring look the woman gave her. Her mouth opened again as though to say something, but she thought better of it and pointed to a room down the hall. Brennan padded down the smooth surface, her eyes scanning each room, looking for her partner. She finally found the room. Ironically it was labelled room _2705. _In her head, the commands replayed themselves. _This is 22705, I repeat, 22705, requesting for backup..._

She saw him before she saw the doctor bent over him. He looked terrible. Although the doctor's had removed all the blood from his face, she could still see the horrible scars that pierced his rough skin, the stitches colouring his face like a patchwork quilt. A lump lay where one of his legs was supposed to be, and she detected a cast.

A rhythmic beeping echoed through the room. His heartbeat. Thank God.

She ran over to him, lowering herself onto the bedside chair and wrapping his hand in hers. A tear formed in her eye and dropped onto her cheek, another mark to add to her face. She only remembered the doctor when his voice broke the thin air.

"Are you his partner?"

Mistaking his meaning, she nodded.

"I'm terribly sorry," he said gently. His greying hair and lined face reminded her of Hank, and she lowered her head as the memories continued to flow back.

"Wh-" she tried to speak, but only squeaks came out. The doctor understood her, though, and nodded slowly.

"He's okay. At the moment. He was hit pretty badly. His entire left side was hit with enormous force and, well..." he trailed off, wondering how much he should, _could_, tell her. "He may be paralysed for life. We're about to go into an operation."

Brennan swallowed as she absorbed this information. Paralysed. She knew this would crush him. He would never be allowed in the field again. What about their partnership? Where would this leave them?

She sat in a shocked silence, when suddenly she heard the heart monitor speed up a fraction. The hand in hers moved very slightly, but to her it felt like a giant tug. She lifted her head, and gazed at his stubble-lined face, looking for signs of life.

His eyes fluttered open, and he glanced around, his eyes catching his partner's. They smiled simultaneously, and she was filled with a sense of overwhelming hope.

She listened silently as the doctor relayed what was happening. But she could tell that Booth was taking in none of it. He just kept watching her, his eyes flitting over her body, checking for injuries. She almost laughed. Here he was, lucky to be alive, concerned for _her._

Another doctor walked in, and informed them of the operation. "Are you ready?" He asked.

"One moment, please?" Booth asked, hoarse. They nodded and sauntered out.

He turned to her, his torso twisting awkwardly. "Bones, if I don't make it-"

"Booth!" This was seeming déjà vu for her. It was as bad as his brain operation. Only this time, the risk was higher.

"Bones, you're a doctor. You know my injuries. You know there's a chance...Look, I'm going to say this now. I love you. I always have. I'm thankful that I didn't let you drive, because if so, you would be here dying instead of me."

"Actually-"

"Not now, please!" Booth gasped, exasperated. "Even if I do make it, Bones, I won't be able to work with the FBI."

"You could do desk work?"

Booth scoffed. "Can you see me doing that? Either way, we won't be partners. And, I'm sorry for that..." Tears blocked his throat, and he blinked furiously to stop them from spilling over his eyes.

Brennan squeezed his hands, willing herself to tell him she loved him back, that they could be together, but somehow the words became stuck, and she could do nothing but watch the pain dripping from his eyes. She felt her owns tears fall over the edge, cascading down her cheek, and dropping onto her hands.

She refused to let go until he had been wheeled into the operating room.

-Bones-

Temperance Brennan had never been a patient woman. This was no exception. She had been escorted back into her room, and although she was relieved for the chance to rest, she knew she couldn't with the knowledge that Booth was in an operation. She couldn't stop thinking about the last few seconds - they had been discussing their hair. _Hair. _It seemed so childish now.

She lay restlessly on her bed, watching as the seconds ticked by on the wall clock, waiting for the doctor to tell her he's returned. She was kept comforted by her friends, but they seemed like ghosts, there to see, but not to believe. They told her everything would be fine, that they'll be back in the lab in no time.

They all knew that wasn't true.

Nonetheless she was grateful for their company. The operation was supposed to last for a few hours, and it would have been torturous to wait alone.

She was chatting aimlessly with Angela when the doctor whom she had first met in Booth's room walked in, his eyes lighting up as he recognised her.

"He's out" was all he said. No clues. No tragedy.

He led her back to 2705. Holding the door open as she slowly shuffled in, he stood aside to give them space. Brennan turned to the doctor.

"How did it go?"

His expression changed. The hopefulness she thought she had detected turned to sympathy. "I'm afraid our fears were confirmed. Seeley was paralysed in the accident. The operation was unsuccessful, and there's nothing we can do."

All hope drained like water through a sieve. Paralysed. Nothing we can do. Unsuccessful. The words spun around her mind like a twisted rollercoaster without brakes.

"He's sedated, but he should be awake any minute now."

As if on cue, Booth's body shuddered. His head rolled to the side, and his eyes opened to stare blankly at her face. She watched as the light rekindled behind them, and the spark returned.

"Bones!"

"Booth." She tried to sound as energetic as he, but it refused to come out. The news was too heavy to be happy. She felt the urge to apologise, but time was precious, and couldn't be wasted on unnecessary things. Then again, she did distract him in the first place.

His face fell as he saw her reaction. He obviously didn't know his diagnosis.

Bones held on hard as he went through the rollercoaster of hell.

-Bones-

2 weeks later, Booth emerged from the hospital, his strong arms fighting against the ignorant wheels of the chair he sat uncomfortably in. His eyes scanned for her car, and lit up when he saw her waiting in front of it. Rolling himself over to her, he waited.

She walked towards him, unfazed by their new height differences. Despite seeing each other in the hospital every day this week, they hadn't touched on the sensitive topic Booth had brought up before the operation.

Now was the time.

She crouched down, and placed her hand on his arm, just like he'd taught her.

"Booth," she said uncertainly. "You're never going to be alone through this."

"Thanks, Bones," he said, and began to wheel himself to the door, not registering the hidden meaning.

Her next words stopped him short. "No, I mean, I love you."

Her back sat silently towards her. She waited for him to turn around, then did it herself. She rotated around the car, coming to rest in front of him. "I love you, Booth. I've just never had the courage to say it. I know there will still be complications, but we can make this work, I promise." She was referring to his work status. Booth had already found out his position at the FBI – he was asked to stay, to help interrogate. This would still limit negotiations and affairs with alliances, but he was hoping they would make an exception.

"Are you sure, Bones? I mean, I'm not gonna be easy to live with."

She smiled a brilliant, Brennan smile. "I know," she smirked as she helped him into the car, and they drove into their new life.

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><p>I really do apologise for the really dodgy story. I know its not the best. I just felt like writing. I don't mind criticism, but please, no flames!<p>

Thanks for reading! x


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